Makeup Brushes -Ecotools - Bamboo Smudge Eyeliner Brush
joyacchen 12/19/2012 10:57:00 PM
For some reason, this brush ends up removing eye makeup rather than smudging it. For my eyes, the brush is also a little too big to get a really nice smudged look. Also, the sharpener at the end isn't very good. It basically sits in the back of my makeup drawer and I never reach for it :(
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -Alima - Pearluster Eyeshadow - Quartz
joyacchen 12/4/2010 2:16:00 PM
This color was too light for what I was looking for. All their colors apply on much more faded/muted than it looks on their website. When applied wet, it seemed to just amplify the pearl, making the shadow look way too frosty on me. Points for being a really natural product and the sifter and consistency of the product combo seem to make the packaging less messy than other mineral shadows.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Alima - Luminous Shimmer Eyeliner in Paparazzi
joyacchen 12/4/2010 2:13:00 PM
This color a pretty shimmery bronzy brown, but it seems to migrate and smudge on me, given me shimmery bronzy brown raccoon eyes (which probably sound better than they look). I tried it both as an eyeliner and shadow, but it didn't really stay place enough for me. If the really smudgy look is what you're after, this might be a good option for you. Points for being a really natural product!
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Real Purity - Mascara
joyacchen 10/21/2010 1:50:00 PM
This isn't a very good mascara, albeit with natural ingredients. For $18, I expect it to be more buildable. Additionally, after it's dried, it doesn't hold a curl (which is actually pretty normal for natural mascaras) but also flakes! Flaking is a big no-no for me because I do wear contacts, not to mention the fact that it's pretty unsightly to have black flecks all over my cheeks. For a pretty good natural mascara, I think I'll back to Earth's Beauty.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Smashbox - Jet Set Waterproof Eyeliner - Bronze
joyacchen 9/7/2009 2:07:00 AM
Love love love this color for drawing precise and smudgeable lines as well. The product dries fairly quickly, so you'll need to smudge it pretty fast after applying or else it's set. I don't have much luck getting it to stay on my bottom lash line, but it sounds like others here do. My only problem with this is that it makes my eyes really sore when I wear it and even after I've removed it, it seems to leave my eyes stingy and irritated. Unfortunately, this did not work for me, which is a shame because the color is gorgeous.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Styling Products -John Masters - Sea Mist
joyacchen 8/20/2009 7:34:00 PM
This is basically lavender-scented salt water, which would have been ok if it had made my hair look like I spent a day at the beach. Instead, I got hair that had flaky dried salt from where the spray dried and a really really really itchy scalp. Also, no discernible increase in volume either. I could have bottled this myself from the salt I have in my kitchen and it might have been better, or at least just as bad.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Brows -Bare Escentuals - Eye Brow powder
joyacchen 6/19/2009 2:34:00 PM
I got this in Brunette, which is WAY WAY too dark for me. I have black hair as well, but the powder was way too much of a flat ashy dark, almost charcoal gray to look natural. I looked like Groucho Marx. The formula itself seems like it's probably pretty good, but since the color was so off, I didn't really get a chance to wear it very long since I pretty much took it off right away. The other colors might be a better match for others, but unless you have raven hair, this might not be the best for you. Aside from the usual BE non-travel-friendly packaging, this container does come with a sifter, which is way better than not having one, which is how I heard the old packaging was.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Almay - Pure Blends Mascara
joyacchen 6/19/2009 2:27:00 PM
I'd been eyeing this one for a while and I finally gave in and bought it today because it was on sale. Well, now I've gone and created more work for myself because I have to return it. It has an interesting brush which is quite non-pliable with quite sharp bristles instead of the usual fluffy or more comb-like bristles of regular wands. In fact, I imagine if I accidentally stabbed myself in the eye with this wand, I could probably do some serious damage. That being said, I thought that I would get zero clumps from such an aggressive brush, however this mascara gave me weird clumps at the ENDS of my eyelashes. Kind of like those artistic shu uemura false eyelashes, but not in a good way at all. Also, the effect goes on really subtle so I had to apply several coats, which just worsened the weird clump-at-the-ends effects. Oh well, I guess you never know until you try.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Lip Gloss -Yes To Carrots - C Me Shine Lip Gloss-Playful Nude
joyacchen 6/2/2009 6:30:00 PM
Great textured gloss, not at all sticky with a hint of mint. This nude was a little too "nudey" for me, it gave me really beige lips, which means that I will always have to do a darker eye, but then again, I'm kind of tan right now. I got this in this in Flirty Pink and Carrot Kiss as well. Both look much more bright in the tube when they're actually go on pretty sheer and shimmery. The Flirty Pink is a pale pink and the Carrot Kiss is a sheer peach. Both seem to have more shimmer than the Playful Nude.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Makeup Remover -Real Purity - Eye Make-Up Remover
joyacchen 4/13/2009 11:10:00 PM
This is a thick, gel-like eye makeup remover. The consistency is sort of like a solidified oil, but it's actually really effective and rather easy to use once you get used to it. I moisten a cotton square with water and squeeze a dab of the eye makeup remover out of the tube, then rub over my eyes. If I'm lazy, I use one cotton square for both eyes, one square each gets the eyes completely clean of makeup. What's nice about this consistency is that if you wear contact lenses like I do, it doesn't really get into the eye and cloud your vision/contacts. Also, one tube will last for a very long time, I've probably had mine for almost a year now! Ingredients: Sesame Oil, Wheat Germ Oil, Candellila
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Physicians Formula - Organic Wear 100% Natural Origin Mascara
joyacchen 4/13/2009 11:03:00 PM
Kudos to pioneering a natural mascara, however the formula went on unevenly and gave me really spidery lashes. I had to comb out the clumps, which still left me with clumpy eyelashes, just with less mascara. I returned it =(.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Deodorants -Real Purity - Deodorant
joyacchen 4/13/2009 10:58:00 PM
This is a roll-on deodorant using natural ingredients. It rolls on quite wet and requires sometime to dry. I haven't noticed that it leaves residue on dark clothes, maybe given that it takes a while to dry after application. Overall, a pretty good natural deodorant - it doesn't keep me completely dry (it's not an antiperspirant) or odorless, but I think that I personally just need something stronger.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -John Masters - Zinc & Sage Shampoo with Conditioner
joyacchen 2/3/2009 1:20:00 AM
I tried this because the Lavender Rosemary shampoo was not leaving my scalp clean. While the Zinc & Sage Shampoo left my scalp clean and refreshed, the rest of my hair was LIKE STRAW. I've NEVER had that happen with any shampoo before! In fact, my hair even felt like straw the next day when I tried to wash it, to where I had to deep condition it to bring it back to where it was pre-Zinc & Sage shampooed. If you want to give this a try, I wouldn't even think of NOT using a separate conditioner after this product.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eyeliner -Physicians Formula - Organic Wear Eyeliner
joyacchen 2/3/2009 1:13:00 AM
I bought this eyeliner in Black Wood (dark brown). I love that the ingredients are natural and it doesn't hurt my eyes while I'm wearing it. The best way to describe the consistency is that it is right between MakeUpForever's Aqua Eyes (harder consistency) and Urban Decay or Shu Uemura Drawing Pencil (soft). The eyeliner does tend to wear off and smudge a bit on me, but I've noticed that when I go over the line with eyeshadow to set the line, the results last just as well as , except that the PF's doesn't hurt my eyes the way MUF's do. I also tried on the black, which is a pretty true black, although not as black as MUF's and UD's but more of a true black than Shu Uemura's, which I've found to be a bit blueish on me. Also, it retails for around $8 but I bought it on sale for $3.97 at Ulta - can't beat that for a deal!
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Mascara -Tarte - Lash Hugger Mascara
joyacchen 2/3/2009 1:04:00 AM
I'm giving this 4 lippies because when applied right, I have gorgeous lashes with less harsh ingredients on them. When I first started using this mascara, I noticed that it took a while to dry, often applied clumpy, and definitely did not curl or hold a curl for my lashes. However, I stuck with it because of the more natural ingredients. Now that I've been using the tube for a while, the formula has dried out a little, making it a little easier to maneuver. However the brush is still a little tricky. I've figured out how to make it work by pulling out the brush towards one side so that most of the mascara on that side stays in the tube, I then use that side to apply. If I use the wrong side (the side with all the mascara still stuck on it), I usually end up with a clumpy, spidery mess that I end up having to comb through with a brush.
Was this review helpful to you? Yes No